The 4th


In the food world it's rare to have a holiday off. Since I didn't have to work on Saturday, I made a nice brunch for my wife. We ate on our back patio in some very pleasant weather. I prepared a smorgasbord; not to be confused with a buffet.

The differences between a smorgasbord and buffet are subtle. It's one of the arguments best left for persnickety foodies. Most people don't care, or don't think they care. The difference to me is that a buffet feels like it's designed for binging and gorging on anything and everything. The culinary equivalent of slopping the hogs. A smorgasbord conjures up images of fine foods that can be combined into custom plates by the diner.

When making a smorgasbord I design it to have a basic foundation, or feature, to be built from. That morning the foundation was toast and scrambled eggs. All the other items made some kind of sense with the toast and eggs but not necessarily with each other: anchovies, Teleme, Roaring 40s Blue, olives, chorizo, toasted almonds, and cured walnuts. I served a bottle of Vinho Verde, but the versatility of dry rose would have been a better choice. The Vinho Verde is a good brunch wine but definitely got lost with a few of the items.

Try making a smorgasbord when you have guests and you'll be sure to please them all.